Losing weightas an introvert.
missionquestthing
Posts: 48 Member
Losing weight as an introvert can be difficult because it can be hard to get out and start moving nor are you always willing to reach out for support. I have discovered another side-effect of losing weight: people keep talking to you.
Ive been losing weight since December and counting calories since March. Recently people have begun to notice. People who work in the same building as me but arent even my coworkers are stopping me several times a day to ask me about my weight. I should feel motivated that it's working but I'd rather crawl in a hole and hide. Everytime I get awkward and unsure how to answer. Anyone else feel this way?
Ive been losing weight since December and counting calories since March. Recently people have begun to notice. People who work in the same building as me but arent even my coworkers are stopping me several times a day to ask me about my weight. I should feel motivated that it's working but I'd rather crawl in a hole and hide. Everytime I get awkward and unsure how to answer. Anyone else feel this way?
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I find the best way to answer a question is to consider it a compliment. Have an answer rehearsed and ready; practice at home. If they notice your weight loss just say, "thank you for noticing". Period. If they ask how you are doing it, just say "counting calories using My Fitness Pal online" or 'just counting calories" or "using My Fitness Pal". Period. As introverts we have a tendency (at least I do) to over-explain everything or not answer at all. I find having some short answers at the ready works best for me. Hope this helps and congrats on your weight loss.12
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When I was steadily losing weight people came up to me all the time and it made me feel embarrassed, I'm not sure why. I was never one to post a ton of stuff on social media about my weight loss journey because I didn't want the attention, so I understand. Next time someone says something just say thank and try to move on, that is honestly all you can do at times.1
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Also introverts can lose energy if they have had a day talking to too many or in large groups or whatever and then mentally find it challenging to get the energy to exercise. I echo the pain. My Sister uses exercise videos rather than going out to meet others.6
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I excerise at home or go walking alone. When ppl approach me about my weight loss, I give them an honest to the point answer: counting calories & exercise. If they have more questions after that, I'll usually find some reason to get away from them.2
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I actually find the opposite true.
I'm usually inverted, and when I am, I have the most success losing weight because I don't have a lot of social obligations. Social obligations = lots of restaurant food and drinks. Without those temptations, it's much easier to stick to my goal.
For my exercise, I just go for a daily walk by myself and listen to my audiobook. It's wonderfully relaxing.
Of course, people don't really talk to me or bother me about my weight loss, since I don't have a lot to lose anyway. If someone compliments me I just say thank you.8 -
robm1brown wrote: »Also introverts can lose energy if they have had a day talking to too many or in large groups or whatever and then mentally find it challenging to get the energy to exercise. I echo the pain. My Sister uses exercise videos rather than going out to meet others.
^^ This. I am an extreme introvert. If I don't have to talk to people in person, I won't. I have found that going for long walks away from others and exercise videos you can do at home (or my elliptical) are the only things that really work. Gyms give me extreme anxiety due to the number of people coming and going and the problems in my brain telling me that they are all silently judging me (even though I know most of them probably aren't paying me any attention).
You just gotta find things that work for you.2 -
Being an introvert can make it easier to weigh your food and log everything, because this is done in complete privacy and you don't need to share it with anyone. This is the key to losing. Introversion doesn't make it harder to exercise, you just might not want to go to the gym, but you can walk alone or exercise at home.5
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I understand! I am perfectly fine sharing within my online communities.
Sharing at work and in most social settings that have nothing to do with fitness is uncomfortable.
<---this photo I've shared in my fitness groups and online fitness communities.
I had to ask people to vote for me, so I posted it to my FB page, my FB friends know I work out, but I never post photos or videos from the gym or even selfies.
I asked 1 coworker to vote for me, she showed other ppl at work.
Now my inbox stays busy on FB with friends asking for advise. My coworkers always want to ask if what they are eating is okay or they judge what I eat. My coworkers feel free to make comment on my body especially telling me, I thought you were just skinny. Most people think I'm skinny, I'm okay with that.
I took a social media break from FB for 2 months. It helped a lot.
I have more of a social anxiety issue/introvert issue. I enjoy my privacy A LOT.0 -
I relate in the sense that I am an introvert with Asperger's so I have to really be very careful or I get overloaded/overwhelmed. I have limitations in terms of interaction, and my limitations have become greater since I have become very active again since that is an additional stress to the body. Fortunately, I don't have anyone approaching me regarding my weight as I live a fairly solitary life.
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I am an introvert too and I totally understand the horror of having to make small talk about your weight loss. When I had lost a bunch of weight before I just had a canned answer I would give, people would ask what I was doing and I would always say "I am just doing it the old fashioned way, counting calories and exercising" once I said that they usually were satisfied and didn't ask anymore. Think of a blanket answer so you can spit it out and be on your way, people just don't understand how uncomfortable these types of questions make the introverted.3
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As a fellow introvert, I didn't have the same experience with the first 30 pounds that I lost. However, I started a phd program at a different school with people I didn't know that well and had never seen me at my heaviest. Now that I'm trying to lose the last 30 pounds, we will see.
As far as exercising in public, I enjoy it. When you go to the same classes at the same time, you make a few friends that at the very least hold you accountable and miss you when you're gone0 -
Being an introvert can make it easier to weigh your food and log everything, because this is done in complete privacy and you don't need to share it with anyone. This is the key to losing. Introversion doesn't make it harder to exercise, you just might not want to go to the gym, but you can walk alone or exercise at home.
Thats what I do: walk with my brother or my cat, excersise to videos or with an app. I would like to go to the gym but I havent been brave enough. The biggest problem is all the people constantly bugging me about it.
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That's why I hike alone in the woods for my exercise, I mean other than it's the only exercise I literally crave doing.
I'm an extreme introvert and the only people who have noticed my 60lb weight loss are my parents, but it's easy for them to tell because they only see me in person 2-3 times a year. I don't talk to anyone regularly, so the only people who see me on a daily basis aren't on good enough terms to notice or comment on my weight.1 -
missionquestthing wrote: »Being an introvert can make it easier to weigh your food and log everything, because this is done in complete privacy and you don't need to share it with anyone. This is the key to losing. Introversion doesn't make it harder to exercise, you just might not want to go to the gym, but you can walk alone or exercise at home.
Thats what I do: walk with my brother or my cat, excersise to videos or with an app. I would like to go to the gym but I havent been brave enough. The biggest problem is all the people constantly bugging me about it.
I can empathize with "new place anxiety"
At gyms, the employees expect to give potential clients a tour, and are trained and ready to do it. Every gym I've ever joined also includes 1-3 sessions with a trainer with membership. After you do that, you should feel comfortable with the facility. If not, take a few more sessions.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »missionquestthing wrote: »Being an introvert can make it easier to weigh your food and log everything, because this is done in complete privacy and you don't need to share it with anyone. This is the key to losing. Introversion doesn't make it harder to exercise, you just might not want to go to the gym, but you can walk alone or exercise at home.
Thats what I do: walk with my brother or my cat, excersise to videos or with an app. I would like to go to the gym but I havent been brave enough. The biggest problem is all the people constantly bugging me about it.
I can empathize with "new place anxiety"
At gyms, the employees expect to give potential clients a tour, and are trained and ready to do it. Every gym I've ever joined also includes 1-3 sessions with a trainer with membership. After you do that, you should feel comfortable with the facility. If not, take a few more sessions.
I've also found it really helpful to ask about the gym's peak times and dead times. I typically can't handle the gym when it's packed, but other times of the day I'm fine.1 -
Introverts unite! Well... lol
My weight loss and maintenance experience as an introvert has been pretty good. When I first started losing I didn't tell anyone beside my guy. I never made a big deal that I was "dieting" at gatherings or events and I found ways to change the subject when asked if I'm losing weight.
I workout alone outside or in my home gym. Best investment ever.
One frustrating thing is the small talk I have gotten from people who I don't know who witness my transformation and want to know my secret. I just tell them I exercise more and watch what I eat. Most give me that glassy-eyed look after I say that so that ends the conversation.
Sometimes the compliments can be too much for me as I don't like being the center of attention. I just smile, say thank you and run the other way. 2 -
As an introvert I just don't talk to random people I guess.
I guess if people noticed and said something I would admit I lost some weight and change the subject.
I haven't told people I am dieting. I eat normal food.
I exercise at home.0 -
I am an introvert but on the Briggs-Meyers test, I am an "little i" so not a huge introvert. I enjoy social interactions with people but find it awkward to start them or get a conversation going. So, having someone approach me about weight is a good icebreaker for me and I end of liking to have to talk about it.
My biggest issue with introversion is going to a gym or joining a group class. I just really hate it. Part of that is that in order for me to be comfortable I need to feel comfortable with people around me and I never get that at the gym.1 -
Ear buds are your friend. Pop them in and just wave or smile when someone approaches. I HATE talking about my weight loss, but when I do get asked about it, I find that "calorie counting" is the answer no one wants to hear and usually get very few follow-up questions.1
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...I find that "calorie counting" is the answer no one wants to hear and usually get very few follow-up questions.
I find this to be SO true. When I say anything about calorie counting and/or My Fitness Pal as my response to "how did you do it!?", people lose all interest immediately. They've either tried it and had some level of success but didn't stick to it, or they are dead set on finding that miracle diet/superfood/pill to send them effortlessly to their dream body.
As for being an introvert, I definitely understand a lot of the things people have mentioned here about introversion and weight loss. I'm an introvert who was raised to behave as though I was an extrovert, so I'm pretty accustomed to faking it (i.e., small talk, fielding personal questions). But I still don't love it. I am pretty private about things and I put myself out there & posted ONCE on social media about my loss of over 100 lb with a before/after shot and I had a couple of comments I didn't love (workout suggestions) so I immediately just shut down and never mentioned it again on social media. I never made any announcements or proclamations about weight loss, at any time. I also have a lifelong anxiety disorder so I'm sure that plays into these things as much as being an introvert. I find that the stress of worrying about how fat I looked or if people were judging my weight (in the past) has been replaced with stress of worrying about other things. It's kind of nice that it is rarely anything to do with my body since I now present as about as average as one can be, in that way.
One thing that is kind of cool (IMHO), most of my social media shots are face or head & shoulders only. So when I go out and see people I knew in the past, they make a big fuss about how I look. It is still somewhat awkward but I don't honestly mind since it's positive feedback. I think there is sometimes an assumption if you don't show full body in lots of photos, you must be very large or heavier than in the past.
As for going to a gym, that would be (for me) one of the most stressful and anxiety-inducing things I can imagine. No thank you! I hike a lot, walk, run intervals, swim, do yoga videos at home, etc. Everything solo or with my husband or one friend. I did a St. Pat's 5k and that exhausted me WAY more from the chit chat before and after, than the actual running.0 -
The answer I use with the church folks is, "Eat less, move more. When you're ready, I can tell you more."0
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kshama2001 wrote: »missionquestthing wrote: »Being an introvert can make it easier to weigh your food and log everything, because this is done in complete privacy and you don't need to share it with anyone. This is the key to losing. Introversion doesn't make it harder to exercise, you just might not want to go to the gym, but you can walk alone or exercise at home.
Thats what I do: walk with my brother or my cat, excersise to videos or with an app. I would like to go to the gym but I havent been brave enough. The biggest problem is all the people constantly bugging me about it.
I can empathize with "new place anxiety"
At gyms, the employees expect to give potential clients a tour, and are trained and ready to do it. Every gym I've ever joined also includes 1-3 sessions with a trainer with membership. After you do that, you should feel comfortable with the facility. If not, take a few more sessions.
I've also found it really helpful to ask about the gym's peak times and dead times. I typically can't handle the gym when it's packed, but other times of the day I'm fine.
Oh, yes, I'm a "last hour before close" person - no peak times for me!0 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »I find this to be SO true. When I say anything about calorie counting and/or My Fitness Pal as my response to "how did you do it!?", people lose all interest immediately. They've either tried it and had some level of success but didn't stick to it, or they are dead set on finding that miracle diet/superfood/pill to send them effortlessly to their dream body.
And this sort of thing right here is why I find interacting with most people a pain in the *kitten* rofl;. Introverted with minor Aspergers tendencies, coupled with anxiety, IBS and OCD and admittedly I'm a bit of a mess until I get my "people script" up and running. I still think if the human race were more like cats I'd like them a lot more.
I got a fair few comments losing around 70 ibs in a year, and now so at the gym especially that I'm seeing definite results six months on thanks to resistance training. Thankfully I tend to do very early mornings at work and on days off can get to the gym before the loud people get in. It might sound anti social or whatever but I'm honestly better off in my own company and interacting with the human race on my own time.
@seltzermint555 : yep, starting up at the gym is stressful. As said early mornings/ late nights when its quite isn't too bad. The way I got over it was honestly to think "what's going to be more stressful, remaining with an unfit body that will give me health problems down the road, or doing something about no?" Gym (aside from loud grunty people!) also has the added benefit of potentially helping to alleviate anxiety and stress to - for me the anticipation was worse than attending, and been going religiously 3-4 times a week now. Along with writing its probably my favourite activity.
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My people haha. Total introvert here and an INFP on the Meyers-Briggs:) I could honestly do without people and do better without them horrible as that sounds. I just need my kids, my dog and cat, books, word games and good food and I'm set. Being a dog owner forces me to exercise so that's good. I just avoid eye contact with the humans lol!2
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@missionquestthing Oh wow, this sounds so much like me. I don't even want to post photos here yet because I'm so concerned about people noticing or finding me or something equally paranoid. People definitely mean well, but it makes me uncomfortable because I know I still have so far to go! 70% of the reason I'm so determined to lose weight is because I hate how I look so people paying more attention is freaking me out!2
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